Okay so I don't really have time to reply to this but I'm going to do it anyways. =P Disclaimer that I'm not a doctor or dietitian, just someone who's done all the wrong things and plenty of research.
How tall are you? Unless you're very short, 1200 calories is not really a sustainable amount, especially if you're exercising on top of that. I did it for a while, and you have to be very strict with yourself and you really have to watch your nutrients. Admittedly, I lost a bunch of weight that way, however it was not healthy because I couldn't fit in all the healthy things I needed. I had migraines, my cycle was out of whack and my hair was falling out.
In estimating your daily caloric needs, there are two important terms to know: BMR and TDEE. These are based on your current height and weight. Your BMR is your Basal Metabolic Rate, which is the calories you would burn if you were totally sedentary to keep you body alive. TDEE is Total Daily Energy Expenditure. This takes into account things like how physical your job is and your activity level. IIFYM.com is pretty good for this, but apps like myfitnesspal will calculate something similar. They will give you a caloric requirement. From that number; in order to lose weight, they usually recommend you subtract 15-20%.
For me (5'6" and 135lbs), my BMR is 1370cal. My TDEE, which I calculated assuming I exercise 3x/wk is 1884cal. A 20% deficit puts me at ~1500cal per day to lose weight.
Now, assume I am back where I started a year ago. 5'6", 190lbs. BMR 1620cal. TDEE 2228cal. A 20% deficit is 1782cal per day, or ~500cal
So, now we have our deficit. How fast will we lose weight? 1lb is generally accepted to be 3500cal. So, at my original weight of 190lb, a 500 cal deficit per day=3500cal per week=1lb lost per week. At my current weight, a safe deficit would mean maybe a 1/2lb loss a week, which is acceptable.
Okay, so now you know how many calories you can eat a day to lose weight. How do you make yourself feel full? Your macros. Carbs, protein and fats are all important, and there are plenty of different diets that will limit one or the other. You need to find what works best for you. I aim high on my protein, a little less on the fats and as low as I can get on carbs. Protein keeps me way fuller and fats help with that too. When I go to high in my carbs I just start to binge. Fiber also will keep you fuller for longer.
Basically, you can cut calories as much as you want. This way may leave you a bit less hungry and grouchy. And keep it up with exercising, it's one of the best things you can do for yourself. If you can incorporate some kind of heavy lifting into your routine it will help you keep the muscle you have while you lose weight, which is important because it's much better to lose the fat tissue than the muscle tissue, but guess which usually will go first.
I think weight watchers has worked well for lots of people here as well, but I know diddly-squat about that kind of thing.
Sorry for the TL;DR, I think I have all my facts right but feel free to correct me. =)
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It's going to be rough because I have (re)developed some nasty, nasty habits.
again to Pamela for hosting this month!!
to all the newbs!!!! great to see many new faces!
